"He put your life as collateral Addy!" The prince exclaims in frustration. Adelaide is numb from what she hears. "No, it's not possible, they need me to help out-"
"They want a second slave to help out but they know they can just overwork her as they do to you if they are not able to pay back the loan."
"It's okay, I'd just do my best and if it's not good enough I'll just have to-"
"You can't die, Adelaide. Don't even say it."
"There's nothing left to live for."
"What about me? What am I supposed to do without you?"
The young woman is speechless from his question. "There is no happy ending for us-"
"You don't know that. I'll fight for us and if we lose then we'll die together"
"Don't say that your highness-"
"Addy I don't know how I can make this any clearer for you. I love you and I cannot live without you. I refuse to live without you." He takes her hands kissing them, then wraps his hands around her waist, bringing her closer.
"I'll make this work. Just trust me...okay?"
She nods, looking up at him. Nicholas kisses her forehead, cupping her cheek.
"I have a surprise for you, but it's for your birthday," he says looking into her eyes.
"You remembered," she mutters to herself.
"Of course I'd remember your birthday princess. I remember everything about you. Everything you've ever told me from the day we met."
"ADELAIDE!!" they hear Grayson yell.
She quickly removes herself from Nicholas and turns to leave but he holds her arm, making her look back at him.
"On your birthday, meet me by the stream okay?" she nods at him. He pulls her to him, claiming her lips. She responds to him as he holds her body against him, he needs her taste to last till they meet again.
"ADELAIDE! Where is that bitch!" Grayson exclaims.
She breaks the kiss immediately.
"I love you Addy," she smiles, nodding at him before running out of the stables and sighting Grayson just a few away.
"I'm here My Lord!" she exclaims running up to him and bowing her head. "I apologize for-"
Adelaide feels a painful smack on her cheek, making her gasp. The same spot he hit her last time!
"Useless fool! You dare make me wait!" he roars in anger.
"My...apologies...My Lord"
"And where did you get those sandals from?!"
She knew accepting these from the prince was a mistake! What in the world is she supposed to say now?
The man grabs her ear, twisting it, making her cry out in pain, "You're stealing again?!"
"No, please My Lord. It was a man in the stable that gave it to me," she says, feeling her ear pound like her heartbeat, the pain is getting unbearable.
"Let's go home and stop making a scene," his mother says in annoyance, turning to head out of the castle.
Nicholas sees Grayson's actions, taking a step out of the stables, only to be dragged back by someone. He turns around, furious to see who dares stop him,
"You'll only make it worse for her"
"Eli," Nicholas breathes out, trying to calm himself. The old man looks at Adelaide who is being yelled at by Grayson and shakes his head.
"Hold on a little bit longer. Wait till you're in a position to help those of her status and mine without fearing that something will happen to us."
The heavy feeling in his chest is not making it any easier for him, but he obeys, walking back inside the castle.
"I just need to be king," the young man repeats to himself as a way of preventing him from turning around and beating the living daylight out of Grayson.
"I suggested the walk and yet you took it alone," Grace says, standing in front of him, blocking his path. Nicholas glares at her before taking a side step but Grace blocks him again.
"Grace"
"Nicholas," she replies, smirking. Moving to the side again, the woman has made it clear that she wants to "play" because she mimics his actions once more. In a split second, she is banged against the wall, the back of her head slamming against it.
Grace yelps in pain, but Nicholas is having none of it. "I am in no mood, and will never be in a mood to play or be with you. The sooner you get it through your thick skull, the better for you," he practically growls before letting her go, walking past her.
The Lady rubs her wrist in an attempt to ease the burning sensation. "He is so strong. I wonder how it will be in bed," she moans out to herself, eyeing his retreating figure till it is out of sight.
"We were so close! I could feel it. They wanted to give us the loan! That bastard of a prince had to ruin everything. He doesn't even know me, why would he deny us such money that would change our lives."
"You have been complaining right from the castle. It's not going to accomplish anything," Philomena says taking a seat by the table.
"I even offered my head as collateral since they wouldn't take that of the useless slave," he rambles on
"That slave does all the work on our land and in the house." Grayson turns to his mother, an evil smile on his face. This is never a good idea.
"We can just make more slaves"
"Grayson! You will leave that girl alone!"
"She is not a girl, mother! She is a woman who can bear more slaves!"
"How will she work if she's pregnant? Will you take care of the house then?"
"There's no big deal about pregnancy. She can work even if she's pregnant."
"You want to treat her like a farm animal? So she can breed more to work here?"
"She is a farm animal!"
Grayson feels a heavy smack on his face, astonishing him. He holds his burning cheek looking at his mother with wide eyes. This is the first time she has smacked his face, and for what? Over a slave?
"Now listen to me Grayson. This land is mine and this house is mine. If you do not wish to live here anymore, pack up and leave! Over my dead body will you touch that girl!"
The man can only glare back at his mother, because she is right. Nothing here belongs to him. Standing up from his seat, he walks away from his mother who calls after him in anger,
"Grayson do not touch that girl!" she repeats, getting up, and walking after him.
Adelaide is sitting in the barn smiling to herself. She still can't believe the first and only person to show her love is the prince of this kingdom. Her days as a slave have become more bearable thanks to his kindness. On top of all that, he remembered when she mentioned her birthday. No, he said he remembers everything she has ever told him, since the day they met.
That fateful evening she was given every piece of cloth in her master's house to wash as punishment for failing to fill 3 large barrels of harvested and processed grain before noon.
***
Adelaide sat on the grass, her feet in the stream as she washed the mount everest of clothes that had been thrown at her. It wasn't fair that she was given till noon to harvest AND process grains enough to fill 3 barrels, that was impossible. The least her master could've done was to give her about an hour after noon. She was so close to filling them too! The young woman struggled to keep washing as her hands ached.
"Just one minute," she told herself, standing up to walk around and rest her hands a little. Adelaide hummed to herself as she followed a path in the forest. Something red was on the ground a bit far from her. She squinted her eyes walking towards it, carefully trying to decipher what could be laying on the floor. Adelaide had walked a considerable distance towards the red image, which made her know that it was in fact, a human on the ground. Her feet took off, running towards the body. Who is that person heartless enough to kill another? She stopped in her tracks, a few feet away from the body. Grabbing a long stick by a tree she stretched her hand, using the wood to poke the body.
The person was dressed up quite nicely, in fact, if Adelaide was not mistaken, this person was of high rank. She dropped the stick, kneeling beside the body, examining the human.
"A man," she whispered to herself, admiring the expensive gold tunic and red coat that adorned him. Her eyebrows furrowed as there didn't seem to be any visible injuries on him. So why was he lying here? Adelaide brought her ear towards his mouth and felt his breath.
He's breathing. "Unconscious maybe," she added to her mental notes. A bright ray of light hit her eyes grabbing her attention by the other side of the man. She stretched past him, grabbing the shiny gold chain. "Real gold"
So this man is definitely someone of high rank. The symbol on the chain made her gasp in fear and drop it as if it had stung her, turning to the man immediately only to see his eyes, open, his silver irises staring at her!
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I am dedicating this chapter to Kresensia_Maria my new follower! Thank you so much! :)
SEE YOU ON WEDNESDAY! :)